ML20198M168

Notice of Violation & Proposed Imposition of Civil Penalty in Amount of $55,000.Violation Noted:As of 970711,licensee Failed to Establish Adequate Controls for Activities Affecting Quality of EDGs

ML20198M168
Person / Time
Site:	Susquehanna
Issue date:	01/09/1998
From:	NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I)
To:
Shared Package
ML20198M158	List: IR 05000387/1997006 ML20198M168
References
NUDOCS 9801200008
Download: ML20198M168 (3)

Text

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i ENCLOSURE NOTICE OF VIOLATION AND PROPOSED IMPOSITION OF civil PENALTY Pennsylvania Power and Light Company (PP&L) Docket Nos. 50-387, 50 388 Susquehanna Stearn Electric Station (SSES) License Nos. NPF-14, NPF-22 Unit 1 and Unit 2 During an NRCinspection conducted from July 1 to August 16,1997, for which exit meetings were held on August 28,1997, and September 11,1997, a violation of NRC requirements was identified. In accordance with the " General Statement of Policy and Procedures for NRC Enforcement Actions," NUREG 1600, the NRC proposes to impose a civil penalty pursuant to Section 234 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (Act),42 U.S.C. 2282, and 10 CFR 2.205. The particular violation and associated civil penalty are set forth below:

10 CFR Part 50, Appendix B, Criterion 11, " Quality Assurance Program", requires, in part, that activities affecting quality be performed under suitably controlled conditions including special controls needed to attain the required quality.

Contrary to the eboe u of July 11,1997, the licensee f ailed to establish adequate controls for activet;un ch acting the quality of the ernergency diesel generators (EDGs).

Specifically, the Somee failed to establish adequate controls for the positio.iing of the speed anciload com.rols of the EDG Woodward governors allowing the 'A' EDG load limit control to be misaligned sometime between June 16,1997, when the load limit setting wasleft in the required 100% load position, and July 11,1997, when the load limit setting was found at approximately 35%. Due to the misalignment, during an accident, the 'A' EDG would not have started with!n the required time and would not have been able to supply the required load as designed. As a result of the

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misalignment, the 'A' EDG was inoperable for an indeterminate period of time between June 16,1997 and July 11, 1997, while both units were operating, contrary to Technical Specification 3.8.1. (01013)

This is a Severity Level 111 violation (Supplement 1).

Civil Penalty - $55,000.

Pursuant to the prov!sions of 10 CFR 2.201, Pennsylvania Power and Light Company (Licensee)is hereby required to submit a written statsment or explanation to the Director, Office of Enforcement, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, within 30 days of the date of this Notice of Violation and Proposed imposition of Civil Penalty (Notice). This reply should be clearly marked as a " Reply to a Notice of Violation" and should include for each alleged violation: (1) admission or denial of the alle0ed violation, (2) the reasons for the violation if admitted, and if denied, the reasons why, (3) the corrective steps that have been taken and the results achieved, (4) the corrective steps that will be taken to avr'id further violations, and (5) the date when full compliance will be achieved, if an adequate reply is not received within the time specified in this Notice, an Order or a Demand for Information may be issued as why the license should not be modified, suspended, or revoked or why such other action as may

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Enclosure 2 be proper should not be taken. Consideration may be given to extending the response time for good cause shown. Under the authority of Section 182 of the Act,42 U.S.C. 2232, this response shall be submitted under oath or affirmation.

Within the same time as provided for the response required above under 10 CFR 2.201, the Licensee may pay the civil penalty by letter addressed to the Director, Office of Enforcement, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, with a check, draft, money order, or electronic transfer payable to the Treasurer of the United States in the amount of the civil penalty proposed above, or the cumulative amount of the civil penalties if more than one civil penalty is proposed, or may protest imposition of the civil penalty in whole or in part, by a written answer addressed to the Director, Office of Enforcement, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Should the Licensee f ail to answer within the time specified, an order imposing the civil penalty willbe issued. Should the Licensee elect to file en answer in accordance with 10 CFR 2.205 protesting the civil penalty, in whole or in part, such answer should be clearly marked as an " Answer to a Notice of Violation" and may: (1) deny the violation listed in this Notice, in whole or in part, (2) demonstrate extenuating circumstances, (3) show error in this Notice, or (4) show other reasons why the penalty should not be imposed, in addition to protesting the civil p3nalty in whole or in part, such answer may request remission or mitigation of the penalty.

In requesting mitigation of the proposed penalty, the factors addressed in Section VI.B.2 of the Enforcement Policy should be addressed. Any written answerin accordance with 10 CFR 2.205 should be set forth separately from the statement or explanation in reply pursuant to 10 CFR 2.201, but may !necaporate parts of the 10 CFR 2.201 reply by specific reference (e.g., citing page end parsgraph numbers) to avoid repetition. The attention of the Licensee is directed to the other provisions of 10 CFR 2.205, regarding the procedure for imposing a civil penalty.

Upon failure to pay any civil penalty due which subsequently has been determined in accordance with the applicable provisions of 10 CFR 2.205, this matter may be referred to the Attorney General, and the penalty, unless compromised, remitted, or mitigated, may be collected by civil action pursuant to Section 234c of the Act,42 U.S.C. 2282c.

The response noted above (Reply to Notice of Violation, letter with payment of civil penalty, and Answer to a Notice of Violation) should be addressed to: Mr. James Lieberman, Director, Office of Enforcement, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Ono Whita Flint North,11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852-2738, with a copy to the Regional Administrator, U.S.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Region I, and a copy to the NRC Resident inspector at the facility that is the subject of this Notice.

Because your response will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room (PDR), to the extent possible, it should not include any personal privacy, proprietary, or safeguards information so that it can be placed in the PDR without redaction. If personal privacy or proprietary information is necessary to provide an acceptable response, then please provide a bracketed copy of your response that identifies the information that should be prote:ted and a redacted copy of your response that deletes such information. If you request withholding of such material, you must spectiically identify the portions of your response that you seek to have withheld and provide in detail the bases for your claim of withholding (e.g., explain why the 4

Enclosore 3 disclosure of information will create an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy or provide the information required by 10 CFR 2.790(b) to support a request for withholding confidential commercial or financial information). If safeguards information is necessary to provide an a:ceptable response, please provide the level of protection described in 10 CFR 73.21.

Dated at King of Pru;sla, Pennsylvania this 9th day of January,1998 m

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